Lunch Break

OK, this was more like dinner. After lunch today, we went back to the house to do some work. One of Danny’s co-workers, Mary Ann, was spending the night with us, along with her dog, Maggie. Like Jake, Mary Ann is a cancer survivor. She was attending a fundraising event at the JW Marriott for the Cheryl Shackelford Foundation, which supports ovarian cancer. Dan and I would be dog-sitting Maggie for the night, and tomorrow all of us will be going to the K-9’s for Cancer walk. After dropping Mary Ann off at the event, Dan and I took both dogs to one of our favorite restaurants, Locanda del Borgo. We sat on the patio and enjoyed a couple Moretti’s.

Lunch Break

It’s been a LONG time since I took Jake on a Lunch Break. This time we ventured over to The Squeaky Bean in the Highlands area. Nice long dog-friendly patio. Like most places the dogs have to stay on the other side of the fence, but they have plenty of water bowls out for them.

Lunch Break

Late lunch today so we could try something different. We went downtown to the Pooch Power Hour at Panzano’s. It’s an upscale Italian restaurant located in the Hotel Monaco (another pet-friendly hotel). The promotion runs every Sunday from 2:30 pm – 6:00 pm until further notice. The patio is right on 17th Avenue and I think every table had a least one dog sitting by it. We talked to everyone sitting around us. People are so chatty with complete strangers when there's a dog at their side. We ordered sausage sliders from the outdoor grill and a couple Stella’s on draft. Jake enjoyed his house-made Peanut Butter Pupcakes.

Lunch Break

After a flurry of doctors’ appointments, Jake and I were ready for a proper lunch break. It’s great to see his usual routines restored. He seems mostly unconcerned about the bump on his leg. Sometimes he tries to get the bandage off but it’s not having an impact on his quality of life yet. And amazingly the ulceration is healing up quite a bit, probably due to the clinical trial treatment. I was pleasantly surprised to see its condition yesterday when I changed his dressing. Maybe the bandages will be able to come off occasionally? We headed downtown, with no particular destination in mind. On 17th Avenue, I noticed the patio at Steuben’s was almost empty. We snagged Doris Day parking right in front. It’s a fun throwback 50’s style diner with comfort food. I love the location in a converted auto-body repair shop. Like many table-service spots, you officially can’t have a dog on the patio but Jake’s good about sitting on the other side of the fence when you ask him. They brought him a bowl of water, too. Always appreciated. I ordered the cheesesteak and Jake helped me with the fries. Soon we were home, where Jake headed immediately for the oasis of the bathroom floor.

Lunch Break

The side effects from the cancer treatment were a little scary on Monday. High fever. Sad eyes. No appetite. Slept all day. However, by Tuesday he was almost back to normal. I decided to slow down the pace of these updates to give him a chance to recover. Today he was 100% so we went out for lunch. This is another local restaurant group, Noodles. We picked the Cherry Creek North location, which was their first store in 1995. They’ve redone their patio and it looks fantastic. Our server asked if she could bring Jake some water. She said technically they don’t allow dogs on the patio but as long as no one complained, we were OK.

Lunch Break

Jake and I met Steph for lunch again. On the way downtown, I spotted a perfect patio at 17th Avenue and Franklin Street. It’s a great Vietnamese restaurant called Parallel 17. We staked out a shady corner table and I called to give directions. It’s fun to catch up with her. I ordered a Saigon Sandwich with pomme frites. Jake doesn’t care what they’re called…pomme frites, French fries or freedom fries. He even loves tater tots.

Lunch Break

The Rock Bottom Brewery is another home-grown restaurant group, based in Louisville. The patio is right on the 16th Street Mall. We had a late lunch so we could pick our table. Technically dogs have to sit on the other side of the fence and we got a perfect spot in the front corner. Awesome people watching here. Crowds rushing back to work. Shoppers. Buskers. Kids on summer break. Our vet says dogs with cancer benefit from a high protein/low carb diet. Jake and I ate a steak. Doctor’s orders, right?

Lunch Break

This is where Jake and I stopped for lunch the day we got the news about his cancer. Hard to believe it’s been a month already. It’s Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on Colfax. Dog-friendly patio with water bowls and biscuits. I wasn’t obsessively carrying my camera then so we were back for the official pics to go down in his permanent record. Same order. Chicago-style for me and plain for him. All highly recommended. Oh, and we split a Corona.

Lunch Break

Jake has been coming to Tokyo San Bowl on Colorado Boulevard for a long time. We stopped here today for a late lunch. As a puppy, he was as soft as a stuffed animal. We kept expecting his coat to turn coarse but it never did. Almost 8 years old and he still feels as soft as the night we brought him home. A couple years ago, we came here to eat without him, and the guy who always brought out our food asked, “Where’s that soft dog?” So now you know.

Lunch Break

Ah, much better. The Tokyo Joe’s on Grant Street. Paul and Jake waited outside while I checked with their staff on their pet policy. “Of course your dog is welcome on the patio! Can I bring him a bowl of water?” According to their website: “Colorado Grown. Colorado Owned.” Right on. We shoulda come here first. Wonderful, healthy food. Smart attitude towards hiring the right people. And love the commitment to cycling.

Lunch Break

Jake, Paul and I headed into the Capitol Hill area for a late lunch. First stop…oops…well, I guess we’re not welcome here…let’s try next door…

Lunch Break

Red Rocks was definitely on Jake’s bucket list. You already know it’s the best outdoor concert venue in the world, right? Unfortunately, you can’t bring your dog to a show but you can go up there during the day. Our first stop was the Ship Rock Grille for lunch. Knockout views on the patio. Fantastic, friendly staff. They brought Jake some water the second we sat down. We ordered the Bison Sliders…2 for me and 1 for him. Jake’s vet just happened to call and check in while we were there. I told her we were up here enjoying life (and a beer). Next: the photo shoot. More pics inside the bowl coming up…

Lunch Break

Time for a female date. Not all of my friends are cursed with Y chromosomes. Steph and I shared an office together at my last job. We hit it off the moment we met. I guess technically I was her boss but she’s way smarter than I’ll ever be. The roles should have been reversed. She’s working on a project at The Children’s Museum so I picked her up there and she suggested Masterpiece Delicatessen in Highland, right on the other side of the pedestrian bridge over I-25. Wow. The sandwiches are HUGE and delicious. The patio isn’t that large, and could use a bit of shade, but what an amazing view of downtown. Jake and I will be back for sure.

Lunch Break

Lunch today with my friend, Jay. As usual, I was cruising for dog-friendly patios with Jake in the backseat of the car. I turned into the University Hills Shopping Center, spotted the Einstein Bagels and called Jay to confirm. He and I worked together at the Denver Nuggets for almost 10 years and share the same passion for music. Jay plays guitar. I play awful one-note synthesizer. The idea of a band was always tempting but probably not on the short list of great musical collaborations. If Social Distortion and Kraftwerk had a child…well, you get the picture. While we were eating, another friend that worked with us in those days walked by. I had not seen Lou in years and it was wonderful to catch up. So random and out-of-the-blue. Driving home, I realized that taking Jake around town was much better at reconnecting with old friends than Facebook.

Lunch Break

OK, so this was actually more of a coffee break. Jake and I got an early start this morning. We left the house at 7:30 am and headed into downtown Denver. I’m not sure he’s ever been in the actual city. He loved it, of course. So much activity…people, cars, light rail, buses…lots of sights & sounds. In addition to the Ogden Theatre, we made 3 other stops. Those pics will be up soon. On the way back, we stopped at the Dazbog Coffee in Congress Park. Great patio in a great neighborhood.

Lunch Break

I stumbled on Jay’s Parkside Cafe yesterday with some friends and brought Jake back today. It’s in the flashy Riverfront Park area. We stopped at Colorado Petfitters first (to restock our treat supply at home but also ended up buying a handy collapsible water bowl). Then on to the café. I ordered the same thing both days…a Chipotle Turkey sandwich. You know a restaurant is good if you eat there two days a row and order the exact same thing. Jake and I brown-bagged it over to the park to eat.